


Smiling At The Past, Grinning For The Future

by TheOnlyOrigamiDinosaurLeft



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Episode: s02e09 Something Borrowed, F/F, Flashbacks, Fluff, Ianto being tired, Ianto's life in London, M/M, cute Jack!Ianto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 22:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7592119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOnlyOrigamiDinosaurLeft/pseuds/TheOnlyOrigamiDinosaurLeft
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I had this life sir, back in London… In London I created this new life for myself. No family... none of those… twats from school. I had friends, I had Lisa; who loved me. I had a flat mate, Soren. I had friends at work. I had work! I had a life. Then… that day happened.”</p><p>Ianto sat up in bed, pulling the pillow up with him as he furiously rubbed his eyes. The day’s events were stirring up memories for everyone in the Torchwood team, but made Ianto think about his own past, back to a time when the idea of getting married and having kids was a very real thing for him. </p><p>Ianto Thinks about Lisa and Soren and the life he had in London, while also learning to love the life he has made for himself in Cardiff with Jack. </p><p>Bit of a character study but with a plot. kind of.</p><p>past Lisa/Ianto, present Lisa/jack<br/>set post something borrowed and I guess spoilers for one line in Broken</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smiling At The Past, Grinning For The Future

“I had this life sir, back in London… In London I created this new life for myself. No family... none of those… twats from school. I had friends, I had Lisa; who loved me. I had a flat mate, Soren. I had friends at work. I had work! I had a life. Then… that day happened.”

**

Ianto sat up in bed, pulling the pillow up with him as he furiously rubbed his eyes. It was 6am and he just couldn’t get off to sleep. It didn’t help that Jack had pretty much fallen asleep as soon as his perfect head hit the pillow and was now snoring softly and murmuring in a language Ianto didn’t understand.

The day had rattled Ianto, so much had happened. Gwen’s wedding had been a true Torchwood do-up. Aliens, guns, a baby and a stonking party after. When Ianto thought about it, Gwen would never have had a wedding any other way. All action, that woman was.

After the clean-up, Ianto and Jack had driven separately home. Ianto going straight to his flat and Jack stopping by the hub to ‘pick something up.’ Ianto suspected Jack just needed some alone time, which was fine with him.

The older man had arrived at the flat at around 3, the team only having finished work at half 2, and had simply kissed Ianto goodnight then fell asleep. Ianto however was tormented by his reeling mind. The day’s events were stirring up memories for everyone in the Torchwood team, but made Ianto think about his own past, back to a time when the idea of getting married and having kids was a very real thing for him.

**

2 years previously

Ianto elbowed the door handle and shoved it open with his arse, both of his hands full of the weeks shopping. He dropped it by the Kitchen Island and wiped his hands on his jeans.

“Oi Soren, yet your sorry arse out here ad help me with the shopping, I got Lisa coming over at 4.”

As Ianto shouted a tall, dark and quite literally handsome man walked out of a door towards the back of the flat in his underwear. He was wiping his eyes and stretching. Ianto stopped and looked at him.

“Have you only just got up? It’s 3 in the afternoon.”

Soren shrugged and picked a carton of Orange juice off the floor, putting it in the fridge.”

I was out last last night. Finally bagged the girl from accounting, she showed up at the pub after you left.”

Ianto rolled his eyes and threw him a bag of potatoes to put in the cupboard.

“She still here?”

Soren looked up at Ianto and grinned, Ianto lobbed a tea towel at him and cringed.

“You’re gross. Kick her out before Lis gets here will you?”

They jostled and jokes for a while longer until Ianto went and got ready for Lisa coming over. Ianto, Lisa and Soren were heading out to watch the new James Bond film as Lisa and Soren had become massive fans of the series since meeting Ianto.

An hour after Soren had kicked the girl out there was a knock on the door. Ianto opened it with wet hair and a towel round his waist. Lisa smiled brightly at him.

“Welshman! You are never late. What’s going on?”

Ianto smiled back at her and ushered her in the flat.

“Soren.” Ianto replied as if it answered everything.

Lisa gave him a knowing smile and plonked herself down on the sofa.

“Well go get ready then, the film starts in 30 minutes and it will take us 10 to get there. Hurry up.”

Ianto leaned down and pecked her lips, then ran out of the living room to get changed.

**

Present day

Ianto smiled at the memory. The 3 of them had had a great time at the film, then after had gone for a kfc. Soren had teased Ianto about when he was going to ask Lisa to marry him, to which Ianto just blushed and Lisa had kissed him on the cheek and told him she loved him. He had been so happy then, so ready for that life. Marriage, kids, a house with more than 1 bathroom and a fridge that had more than leftovers in it.

Ianto often thought about Soren, he had been killed along with so many other civilians on the day of the battle. Ianto didn’t know how but when he had rushed home to grab some clothes and money he had seen his friend’s body lying on the stairs by the lobby. No blood. Just the body of a nameless man lost in battle. Not nameless to Ianto of course.

Ianto wondered if Soren would have been his best man, weather he would have made a speech. He had always been there for Ianto with ‘wise’ advice for dating.

_“Shag ‘em and shoo ‘em Ianto mate. That’s my motto.”_

_“If you think you love her, defiantly dump her.”_

_“If you ever get married I will drop kick a football into your nuts. You are far too handsome for that.”_

Ianto felt himself grin at Soren’s often given and never needed advice.

The smile fell from his face when he thought about Soren’s body lying on the steps, and his eyes that had never closed…

Ianto stood up and walked to the kitchen, needing a drink. He made himself a coffee and checked the time. 6:45.

He needed to get up for work anyway. While the coffee machine whirred he walked back into the bedroom and turned on the bedside light as to not wake Jack up while he got ready. He opened the wardrobe and took out a suit, laying it down on the bed. As he did so his mind trailed back again.

**

“Nice suit!”

Ianto heard from Ben as he walked into the pub, he grinned at his friend and flagged down the tender for a pint.

“Thanks mate, just came from work, no time to change.”

Ben shook his hand while Katie kissed his cheek and Ryan pulled him into a hug.

“Smug Bastard, working up in Canary Wharf! What floor do you work again?”

Ianto ducked his head at Ryan’s teasing and sipped his pint.

“You know full well I work in the basement. Archivist, remember.”

Ryan ruffled his hair and gestured for a re-fill. Katie leaned over the bar.

“So what do you want to do tonight lads? New bar just opened on Charlotte Street, But maybe fancy pants over here would prefer the Hiltons?”

Ianto shoved her arm and hollered as they all laughed.

“Bloody rude the lot of you! At least I make a fucking effort! What exactly is Ben wearing? Looks like you dragged it out the bin!”

**

Ianto was pulled back from his thoughts when he heard Jack stir.

“Ianto?”

Ianto looked at Jack, who had rolled over onto his back and was looking at Ianto quizzically.

“Mhm?”

“Why you up so early?”

“It’s not early.”

“It’s 7.”

“Exactly.”

Jack at up and leaned against the headboard.

“Why can’t we stay in bed longer?”

“You can, I have things to do. My boss is a right arse when I don’t do my paperwork.”

Ianto walked into the bathroom to set the shower on, Jack followed him and tuned the shower off.

“He sounds awful.”

“He is. Now let me shower.”

Ianto turned the shower on again and glowered at Jack when he turned it off. Again.

“Jack.”

“You know Ianto, maybe your boss thinks that as we had an absurdly busy day yesterday, we should have a day off today. And not go into work.”

“Maybe my boss isn’t aware of the mountain of work I have to do.”

“Maybe your boss doesn’t care.”

Ianto rolled his eyes and stepped in the shower. Jack grinned.

“This isn’t over Ianto Jones.”

“Oh yes it is Jack Harkness.”

**

Ianto rolled over in bed and caught sight of Lisa, still asleep. He poked her arm and she stirred slightly.

“Happy Christmas Lis,”

The younger woman smiled, her eyes still closed.

“Happy Christmas Welshman,”

He kissed her forehead gently then pulled back the covers.

“Come on, time for work.”

“It’s Christmas,”

“Exactly,” Ianto opened up the wardrobe and pulled out a suit. “London, at Christmas, no one is getting a day off today, not at Torchwood.”

Lisa rolled over again, sat up and covered herself with the sheet.

“We can do gifts when we get home, and Lunch. Soren is cooking dinner for when we get back.”

Lisa pulled a face.

“I know, but… we have to. You know Yvonne will kill us if we ditch.”

Lisa sat up and walked into the bathroom, sulking.

**

Ianto washed the last of the suds out of his hair and blindly turned off the shower. He could hear Jack humming as he dressed. The sound brought a smile to his lips, despite his current maudlin mood.

“Ianto, coffee is done.”

Ianto quickly got dressed then walked into the kitchen. Jack was sat reading his pda and munching on toast. He looked up as Ianto walked in and grinned.

“You look great. I love that suit.”

Ianto grabbed a slice of buttered toast of Jack’s plate and kissed him quickly.

“I know. Coffee?”

Jack smirked.

“Please.”

As Ianto worked he gestured blindly to the sky.

“Any of that today?”

Jack shrugged.

“A few blips later in the day, nothing drastic. We could have stayed in bed longer.”

“We could have, but we didn’t, and now we need to leave. I still have some clean up left over from last night.”

Ianto handed a still smiling Jack his coffee and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

Jack shook his head.

“All of this.” He gestured around the flat. “Waking up slowly, showers, coffee, you stealing my toast and kissing me before you brush your teeth…”

“What about it?”

“I like it.” Ianto kept his face black, so Jack continued. “We’re somehow living a life I was sure we would never be able to.”

“What…. Sort of life is that then?”

“Domesticated one. Easy. Calm. Nice…”

Jack laughed at Ianto’s face.

“Oh don’t look so confused. Does it surprise you that I like the domesticated life?”

“A bit yes.”

“Why?”

“Cus you’re Captain Jack Harkness for Christ’s sake. Alien hunter, and an intergalactic playboy if your stories are anything to go on. I guess I just never thought about all this as… domestic.”

Jack stood and kissed Ianto soundly.

“Well it is, and it’s nice. C’mon, work to do. Or so you tell me…”

He winked and walked out of the flat, leaving Ianto still standing in the kitchen.

**

His arm was wrapped around Lisa as they watched TV in his and Soren’s tiny living room. They were watching some shitty chick flick Lisa had picked out. Ianto had long lost any sense of the plot or characters, but Lisa seemed happy so he shut up and watched. He felt her wriggle in place.

“You okay?”

He felt her nod.

“Sure?”

“Yeah, yeah…. Just….”

She paused the film and sat up.

“Ianto, we’ve been dating for a year now and… I know we’re young but… I just want to know if you see a future for us. You know… the domesticated life? Marriage… kids…. A house? I know I sound crazy I just don’t want to be stuck in a relationship going nowhere and all these stupid films make us think that-”

Ianto laughed and cut her off.

“Lis. Of course I want all that. I have a great job, a great flat, great friends. I have you and I love you. For me Lis, this is it.”

Lisa kissed him hard, pushing him into the sofa. He idly thought that life couldn’t get better.

**

Ianto looked out of the window of the SUV and fiddled with his hands. He was feeling weird after a night of no sleep and all these memories floating around his head. He felt Jack’s hand on his thigh.

“Hey, you okay? You seem a bit quiet? It’s not about what I said at the flat is it, cus I didn’t mean to freak you out…”

“No, no it’s not that. I liked that, I mean, it was nice. It’s all fine…”

“Then what?”

“Gwen’s…. Gwen’s wedding got me thinking about… about London and all that potential my past had. Like I could have got married by now and have a house and kids and…”

Jack tensed up and pulled over the car.

“And what? You’re thinking of leaving torchwood?”

“No! God no! I just mean… I’m not sure that I would be happy, as happy as I am now, should I have got married to Lisa and… reproduced.”

Jack turned to look at Ianto and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m happy Jack. Here, with you… and that a bit scary…”

“Why?”

“Because people always told me I wouldn’t be happy until I had that normal life. But I don’t want normal. I want you.”

Jack slowly started to grin. He leaned over and kissed Ianto.

“We’re going to be late for work.”

And they were.

2 hours late.

 


End file.
